In some countries, Epiphany is as important as Christmas Day. The Epiphany is celebrated on January 6. It marks the day Jesus was revealed to the world. Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on Epiphany.

The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphainen, a verb that means “to shine upon,” “to manifest,” or “to make known. “This Feast of the Epiphany is on Thursday, January 6th, the last day after the 12 days of Christmas.

The Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Saviour of the world. Epiphany -also known as Three Kings’ Day- is a Christian feast which falls on 6th January. It is a special date for Christians, as it’s when people celebrate how a star led the Magi -also known as the Three Kings or the Wise Men- to visit the baby Jesus after he’d been born.
Epiphany, also called Theophany, is a celebration of God manifesting as the baby Jesus and revealing Himself to the world. The 12 days of Christmas is the period in Christian theology that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the Magi, the three wise men.

The Epiphany marks the arrival of visitors, identified in scripture as the Magi, to the place where Jesus was born. Although, we virtually know nothing about them, we do know they brought three expensive gifts-Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. The hymn ‘We Three Kings’ reminds us that the gifts were symbolic. Gold -a symbol of wealth and power identifies the recipient as a king; Incense for Holiness; Myrrh predicting Jesus’ death.

As we celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord, we thank God for the gift of the lessons he teaches through the wise men about the search for him, about the pilgrimage together with the others that constitutes the Christian life, about our need to be guided by Sacred Scripture, the Church and the Saints, about our openness to letting…

The visit of the Magi is emphasized on Epiphany Day, and Christ’s baptism is celebrated the first Sunday that follows. The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the many ways that Christ has made Himself known to the world. The three events that manifested the mission and divinity of Christ: the visit of the Magi (Mathew 2:1-12), the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:9-11), and the miracle at Cana (John 2: 1-11).

-Tr. Sherida D’souza